For those people who say they're too busy to have a relationship, speed-dating may be the answer. Speed-dating is matchmaking by the clock. Singles come to a designated location - usually a bar - pay a fee and have 3 to 8 minutes to talk one-on-one with possible matches. Participants rate each date on a form; and if matches are made, contact information is sent by the event organizers to both parties. Studies done on speed-dating found that most matches are made after 3-second, first impressions. The studies also found that taller men and younger women are more matchable. Obviously, speed-dating doesn't slow down stereotyping.

Although there are no statistics about speed-dating leading to engagements, Brides magazine says 17% of the 2.3 million engagements occur in December, making it the most popular month for engagements. I attributed that to December being a romantic time of year. Wrong. It's a practical time. It's when families are most likely to be together, making it easier to plan weddings. Of course, December also includes New Year's Eve, which is a popular time for resolutions. Marriage, however, can be a hard resolution to keep.

According to an Associated Press release, most marriages occur in the months June - October, with the fewest occurring in January. That makes sense because couples are most likely to get cold feet in January. Regarding divorce, couples are least likely to get divorced in the District of Columbia. That makes sense because D.C. is the home of political correctness. On the other hand - the one without a wedding ring - Nevada is the place couples are most likely to get divorced. That makes sense too. Nevada's where most legal gambles are made.

Although it sounds contradictory, there's good news about divorce. According to the same Associated Press release, the divorce rate is the lowest it's been since 1970 - 3.6 divorces for every 1,000 people. Although I'm not sure what a .6 divorce is, it may be when the spouse gets stuck with the mother-in-law.

When it comes to re-marrying, U.S. Census figures show that 13% of men and 14% of women marry twice. When it comes to marrying more than twice, the percentage is the same for men and women - 3%. Nevertheless, there still seems to be a double standard. Larry King's 6 marriages supposedly reflect sexual prowess and Elizabeth Taylor's 8 marriages reflect instability. Who knows? Maybe women admit mistakes more easily.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - What Keeps Relationships From Sinking

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KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life. Take a minute to make yourself smile at http://knightwatch.typepad.com